In German Patent No. 3,545,305-Al, components of a prior art connecting terminal were prefabricated, contacted with the printed circuit board, and arranged between a printed circuit board and a box cover. Each component consisted of a frame-shaped housing, of which the lower frame formed the support for the penetration contacts and from which connecting tongues for later connection to the printed circuit board projected. The opposite frame received a nut, which formed the threaded receiving section for a set screw supported on a pivot bearing centrally in the receiving body. The lower end of the set screw was connected in an axially fixed manner with a cable receiving body and was formed in the longitudinal center into its channel, which served for the introduction of the cable to be contacted. The set screw was arranged in the longitudinal center of the field of the penetration contacts located in the other frame, with said contacts having to penetrate with their contact blades through vertical slots into the channel of the receiving body when the set screw was turned. In the loosened state, the set screw projected above the upper frame with its screw head in an interfering manner.
The cumbersome and time-consuming fabrication of the individual components and their later assembly were a disadvantage. These components contributed to excessive overall height, for which a space with correspondingly large dimensions in a connection box was required. Also, the mechanical and electrical connection between the components and the printed circuit board was unreliable, and consequently additional fastening means, such as pins or the like, were required on the frames. However, even so adequate strength of the connection could not be adequately insured and had insufficient effect on a good electrical connection of the connecting tongues.